Call for Transparency on Telecommunications Security Report
HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — On Wednesday, two Democratic senators pressed officials within the Trump administration to disclose a pivotal report addressing security vulnerabilities in the telecommunications sector.
Senators Mark Warner of Virginia and Ron Wyden of Oregon directed their appeal to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, asserting that the report has been unjustly withheld by Noem’s department.
This past summer, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), housed within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), indicated its intention to release the report titled “U.S. Telecommunications Insecurity 2022,” pending appropriate clearance.
In a letter addressed to Noem and Gabbard, the senators remarked, “The ongoing suppression of a report that identifies significant vulnerabilities within the U.S. telecommunications framework compromises public understanding of these threats and hinders essential discourse on securing the sector to protect both the U.S. Government and the American populace reliant on these services.” Neither official responded to inquiries from The National News Desk (TNND) by the time of publication.
Notably, the Senate approved one of Wyden’s proposed bills in July that mandates the release of this report, yet the House of Representatives has yet to deliberate on the matter.
According to Wyden, challenges to the telecommunications industry persist, underscored by a data breach last year involving sensitive information of high-ranking U.S. officials, allegedly linked to individuals with ties to the Chinese government.
“Foreign adversaries, including non-state entities, have capitalized on entrenched vulnerabilities within U.S. telecommunications networks, enabling them to track devices, intercept communications, and surreptitiously install spyware,” stated Wyden, though TNND could not independently verify this assertion.
“DHS documented these threats in a public report presented to Congress over eight years ago. A recent breach involving nation-state actors at a major service-provider rate highlights that substantial dangers to this sector persist.”
While Wyden did not specify which report he was referencing, DHS had released a study in 2017 examining the risks associated with mobile device use within government operations.
The findings indicated that foreign hackers, organized crime syndicates, and opportunistic thieves posed distinct threats to public officials, primarily by virtue of their employment.
“Risks faced by government mobile device users parallel those confronting consumers, such as interception of communications, user tracking, financial fraud attempts, social engineering, ransomware, identity theft, and theft of devices, services, or sensitive information,” stated DHS, although TNND could not confirm this fact.
“This endangers not only mobile device users but also telecommunications carriers and various infrastructure providers. Government personnel may be exposed to heightened threats solely due to their official status.”
Source link: Thenationaldesk.com.
